This invention relates generally to gas turbine engines, and more particularly, to combustor liner supports used in gas turbine engines.
At least some known combustors include at least one dome coupled to a combustor liner that defines a combustion zone. More specifically, the combustor liner includes an inner liner and an outer liner that extend from the dome to a turbine nozzle. Each liner is spaced radially inwardly from a combustor casing such that an inner and an outer cooling passageway are defined between each respective liner and the combustor casing. The inner passageway, in particular, enables cooling air to be channeled across an exterior of the inner liner. The cooling air facilitates reducing the temperature of the combustion chamber inner liner to facilitate reducing thermal stresses.
At least some known combustor inner liners are coupled to a forward inner nozzle support via a bolted joint. Such bolted joints, although structurally sound, may limit the useful life expectancy of the combustor liner. For example bolted joints may result in restricting cooling air flow through the inner passageway. As a result, high loss turns, recirculation zones, and/or cooling air backflow may be generated within the inner passageway, which may cause thermal stresses to be induced to the combustor inner liner. Over time, such stresses may decrease the life cycle fatigue (LCF) of the compressor. Moreover, bolted joints may also increase the overall weight of the combustor, which may adversely affect the performance and the life expectancy of the gas turbine engine as a whole.